GVC Sunterra - Is it a freebie?

by **bargie** on Fri Feb 15, 2008 21:26 pm

Hi Bazza
we have been members of sunterra for 6 years we actually joined before we experienced the free holiday and have since purchased more points to top up our allocation.
You will have to attend a seminar at the destination venue where they try to sell you holidays on a points basis, however they never once tried the hard sell tactics with us.
Let them know in NO uncertain terms if you are not interested / cannot afford to join.
On the other hand we have had some fabulous holidays through the club and have made full use of the exchange programme and the getaways, however we have no dependent children so are not tied to certain holiday dates. You can go along to the seminar and claim your free hol with no obligation but will have to attend a further seminar whilst abroad/ on hol.
Hope this helps if you have any further question I will be happy to help if I can.

by **kingdobe** on Sat Feb 16, 2008 06:23 am

Hi folks we like you Bargie have enjoyed many happy holidays with DRI (sunterra/GVC),the idea is you buy the minimum points than top them up from other members,the problem is some people do not plan ahead which is the key if you have kids like we had to.
Last year we had a week at cromer (Kingdom on tv is set near there)which we got on late availability,thus we managed to go away twice with our 4000 points.

Barry

by **dogslife** on Sat Feb 16, 2008 14:03 pm

DOGSLIFE

We have just been contacted by Diamond Resorts eg fromerly sunterra.We attended a presentation a couple of weeks ago and got a free gift all ok no real hard sell been to these things before, didnt sign up to anything. Now we have been offered a free holiday, well we have to pay about 50 quid. Plus our flights and they say they can book our flights and have given a real good price on return flights they say with taxs included. I am very cautious about being caught out in any way with extras to pay somewhere along the line??. however having been to these sorts of thing before with other companies and asking round I do know you will be in for at least half a days hard sell, and badgering whilst on your holiday even if they tell you 90 mins- It is more, I also know that some can get real stroppy when you decline to sign or join telling you there is cooling off period. well if the offer is that good and that genuine thats my loss isnt it, but I say why would you have to sign up right away without taking others advice if it was above board in all ways. Just dont sign up till you check it out. Theyll be back again next year I can promise that as they always have with us. My question is does anyone know of any catches if I book the flights with them for my freebie six days in the sun(+1 of hard sell) ?? Also I note that if I dont turn up with my hubby for the presentation whilst away, at the time they say I will be charged �30 a night per person for my stay is there anyway they can con me with this as they will have my credit card details if I book, and say this will be charged to it?????

by **kingdobe** on Sat Feb 16, 2008 20:02 pm

The holiday is what they say go on the TST website and you will see,when you get to the resort they will arrange a time with you for the presentation both of you must attend,we took the kids with us which threw them a bit did not buy any points then when we got back then we bought into GVC(sunterra/DRI).

Barry

by **Cavalier** on Mon Feb 18, 2008 14:46 pm

Neil,

We joined in 2005 and did get our free holiday in Majorca in 2006. Car hire was thrown in too. I have to say I had to threaten them with Trading Standards to get the free holiday we wanted. They did conceed in the end.
The holiday was fine, it was a quiet time of the year, the resort was OK, the accomodation was OK too, definitley not 5 star though. 3 star at best. The food was franchised out and not good at all. Overall though for "free" it was OK.
Last year 2007 we used a voucher and went to Cromer. The resort was fine and the franchised food was very good.
The only BIG gripe is the "charges" at high use times. �50 per person, paid on booking, and also �25 for services, paid at the resort.

by **Cavalier** on Mon Feb 18, 2008 14:52 pm

Neil,

We joined in 2005 and did get our free holiday in Majorca in 2006. Car hire was thrown in too. I have to say I had to threaten them with Trading Standards to get the free holiday we wanted. They did concede in the end.
The holiday was fine, it was a quiet time of the year, the resort was OK, the accomodation was OK too, definitley not 5 star though. 3 star at best. The food was franchised out and not good at all. Overall though for "free" it was OK.
Last year 2007 we used a voucher and went to Cromer. The resort was fine and the franchised food was very good.
The only BIG gripe is the "charges" at high use times. �50 per person, paid on booking, and also �25 for services, paid at the resort.

by **Cavalier** on Mon Feb 18, 2008 14:52 pm

We joined in 2005 and did get our free holiday in Majorca in 2006. Car hire was thrown in too. I have to say I had to threaten them with Trading Standards to get the free holiday we wanted. They did concede in the end.
The holiday was fine, it was a quiet time of the year, the resort was OK, the accomodation was OK too, definitley not 5 star though. 3 star at best. The food was franchised out and not good at all. Overall though for "free" it was OK.
Last year 2007 we used a voucher and went to Cromer. The resort was fine and the franchised food was very good.
The only BIG gripe is the "charges" at high use times. �50 per person, paid on booking, and also �25 for services, paid at the resort.

by **kingdobe** on Tue Feb 19, 2008 13:09 pm

I think we get the message but 3 times a bit of overkill LOL

Barry

by **hollycandy1** on Tue Feb 26, 2008 21:35 pm

Hi I resd your concerns I can tell you Sunterra no longer exists it has been taken over by Diamond resorts and yes it is timeshare

by **GINAP** on Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:31 pm

Re: Sunterra (now Diamond Resorts). I got surveyed in the street, and then the phone call. My husband and I did go along and agreed not to join ANYTHING! Saying that, after we had seen the presentation, we DID buy in, purely because of the fact, that having two small children at the time, when booking package deals, you are always stung for under occupancy in apartments etc and if you don't wish to pay the huge extras to allow yourself the space you need you all end up in a one bedroom apartment with the kids on the sofas. No holiday for grown ups is it. Sunterra offered us whatever size accommodation we needed and because you own points, not weeks, you can have what you need when you need it. The resorts are all clean, excellent facilities and staff. The accommodation is home from home, which is what we wanted, you know that when you reach your destination worn out from travelling, there will be tea bags, coffee etc, together with washing machine, microwave etc. We have been members for some years now, the only complaint we have had, is that you do need to book a year in advance for school holiday periods, if you don't have to worry about when you go, you can get an awful lot of travel for your points. But don't forget, its not just the buying in, you do have a membership fee every year to pay, but this is why the resorts are so fabulous, the money is used to keep them in pristine condition. Good luck. Ps you can go on the free holiday, but they will invite you to a meeting, which will last about 2 hours. You will always be invited to meetings even when you have joined, you just have to say NO, I have enough points, thank you. When you take the freebie hol, it may be in the small print that you MUST attend though. But go have a good time and whats 2 hours out of a whole week, especially when its FREE!